First Blush
by Sixth Night
Summary: Fates change when Jacob steps in front of Alice's vision.
1. Prologue

I own nothing but the words.

* * *

The rain fell hard, sleeking down her shoulders as she stripped off her coat. She allowed herself the indulgence of a single tear, the first she'd really allowed since he left. As it slipped down her cheek, plummeted off her chin, and was lost among the earth beneath her feet she realized that one small drop made things invariably worse. Letting the pain fall that way, feeling the overwhelming emotion that caused this tear was too much. She just needed to hear his voice again.

She took another unsteady step, teetering nearer to the tree towering above her. The leaves were the color of autumn and their beauty served as a curtain between her and the horror she felt compelled to inflict on herself. She ran her fingertips across the length of a low branch, feeling the rugged bark against her skin. Had the bark felt so rough against his skin when he'd run his fingers across it? Or had its soft, organic nature merely caved beneath his strong fingers. No sense in wondering. Another step and she cleared the trees, eyes set on the edge of the cliff. Soon, she'd be like her tear, plummeting from heights and joining trillions of little drops of water. One last, deep breath.

It took four long strides to reach the edge of the cliff. She saw him then; he was telling her not to do it. She ignored his warning, bit down on her lip and lifted her foot as if to make her next move. Before she could move another inch, before she could even process the hand wrapping around her slender wrist, she was whirling violently, her face buried in the heat of a bare chest. His woodsy scent surrounded her.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

* * *

"Bella! What are you doing? You were supposed to wait for me!"

My lungs burned with heavy, fluid fire. I made another worthless attempt to breathe, but my face was impossibly glued to his skin.

"Bella…" the voice called from miles away, all but hopeless.

The compression hurt and I was convinced I'd heard my bones threatening to snap. _Stop_, I wanted to yell. _Just let me be with him, please, stop_…

"Are you okay?" The urgent voice sounded closer this time.

_No._ But I couldn't quite rally the strength to speak. I squirmed in his arms. Attempted again, _Jacob…_ "Jake… air… supply…"

"Oh, sorry Bells."

He loosened his arms, letting me fall softly back to the ground. I finally pried my eyes open, feeling dizzied by the sudden intake of oxygen. The rain began to throw itself angrily down on our personal tragedy. I could feel my hair start to stick against my neck.

"So, why couldn't you wait for me? Are you crazy?" His eyes were on me, assessing my sanity.

I felt my lips crack as they formed a grin before I could filter the expression. How right he was.

"I got impatient."

His eyes rolled skyward.

"Next time you get impatient, yell, okay? There's a rip tide right now, you could have drown."

His hands slipped from my back, down my biceps and wrapped securely around my wrists.

"Well, next time try not to keep me waiting so long."

He breathed a laugh, "Sorry, I was tracking your stalker."

"And?" I was suddenly nervous.

"She's taken off into the ocean."

It made sense now. She all but led him to me. In a way, she might as well have saved my life this time. I wondered how she'd feel about that. Likely, she'd be happy to have me alive so that she could properly take care of me later. Having me accidentally drown wouldn't be to her taste.

The rain paused, as indecisive as I was. I felt impossibly moved. Jake had fast become my best friend, and now he had saved my life. More than that, I felt as though he'd just changed the course of my life. I felt things shift. It was a strange experience.

Something about being saved this way touched me. What was I doing, chasing after glimpses of a ghost? Jacob was staring at me, his eyes warm and loving. Guilt raced through my veins.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

I nodded my answer and shrugged back into my muddy coat after retrieving it from the ground. His smile only deepened as he started back down the path I'd taken to get here and I fell in step with him. We walked at an easy pace, our legs moving together. Jake wrapped his arm loosely around my waist, his usual move to keep me from tripping over my own feet.

We were half way back to my truck when I heard the howl. He went rigid, his eyes far away as I looked up to him. I'd swear he had grown again.

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure. Hang on, I'll be right back."

Before I could speak another word, he'd dashed into the trees, obscuring my view of him as he shed his cut-offs in preparation to phase. I heard several more howls as a shiver raked my spine. I was feeling disappointed, though I couldn't place the feeling on any particular cause. I waited while he communicated via the pack plural.

I tried to consider the thoughts I'd been having, the realizations, the war that was being battled in my head and in my heart. I didn't like the way I was warming to Jacob, because it seemed to fly in the face of everything I'd gone through in the past year. Adversely, I didn't like that I couldn't fully appreciate all that he did for me. I wanted to find some way to repay him for saving my life, and I wasn't thinking about what had just transpired on the cliff. It was useless. I circled the same train of thought over and over, never making any progress.

I focused on a rock, zoning out.

"So, bad news."

I jumped at the sound of Jake's voice. I didn't know how much more bad news I could handle. I turned to face him, blanched.

"Harry Clearwater had a heart attack."

_Oh no_. I was being reckless while my father was losing a friend. I felt unbearably guilty.

"Is he going to make it?" I heard my urgency, registered his stoic expression, and I knew the answer before he said it.

"He's gone, Bells."

"Damn." I huffed and looked to the ground. "I need to get to Charlie."

"He's at the hospital, but so is everyone else. Why don't I get you home, maybe we can get dinner going so he won't have to worry about anything when he gets home?"

I couldn't help the smile that slipped across my lips. It felt misplaced, all things considered, but I hadn't expected this side of Jake. I had taken to calling him my personal sunshine. Now, I was learning how he could be counted on in a crisis.

"I think he'd appreciate that."

We picked back up our pace, walking in uncomfortable silence with the weight of the world on our shoulders. I felt like it would take forever to get back to my truck. It hadn't seemed this long when I'd come the opposite way, hell-bent on cliff diving.

And then I caught my foot on a stray root. Before my knees could touch the ground, Jake scooped me up and held me out at arm's length.

"Um, sorry…" I blushed. Couldn't my feet cooperate just this once?

"This is taking too long anyway."

I was about to be offended, but I didn't have time. Jake swung me up by the arms and caught me around the waist. From there, I was catapulted over his shoulder. I lost my breath when my stomach came in sharp contact with his iron bones. I coughed reflexively, annoyed with my fragile body. I hated feeling weak.

"Sorry, Bells. Gotta remember you're breakable."

In so many ways I'd never admit.

My hair swung in my face as he began to run at a quick pace, faster than I'd be capable of. I puffed air to get it away from my mouth. "It would help if you were less of a cave-man," I bit.

"Ugg," he jested in a gruff voice.

I didn't laugh.

I thought briefly back to the way _he_ would carry me through the woods. How _he_ remembered all the ways in which I was fragile, and how _he_ was so careful to keep from hurting me. It was in that moment I decided that I liked the way Jacob treated me. He made me feel not so… effete. He didn't cater to my every little need. He disagreed with me. Wasn't it better to be treated like an equal?

I would have kept up the silent reverie, but my head swooned. Blood was rushing to it as fast as we were rushing through the forest. I felt so human, so incomparable to my company.

"Jake," I croaked, "I'm going to pass out."

I was rewarded with laughter. Okay, perhaps I didn't prefer his treatment! I balled a fist and hit him between the shoulder blades. It probably hurt me more than it did him, but it was the thought that counted.

"Okay, okay. Don't hurt yourself."

He swung me around mid-run and caught me before I could fall to the ground. The acrobatics were getting on my nerves, but I much preferred being held like this. He had one arm under the crook of my knees and one behind my back. He held me tightly, helping me fight the cold the rain had inflicted.

Finally, I could see where we were going.

"Thank God," I mumbled.

A chuckle shook his chest against my left side. Whatever.

He slowed as we neared my old, rusted truck and came to a stop near the tailgate. He dropped my knees and set me gently on the ground. I was glad to have that done with.

"Keys?" He held his hand out expectantly.

"I don't think so." I crossed my arms defiantly.

"Bells, I don't trust you not to try and cliff dive the truck."

I snorted. "You're full of it, Jake. Like I would do that."

"Never know. Keys."

This time it wasn't a question. I caved, fished the keys out of my coat pocket and dangled them between us. He snatched them with a smug grin.

Did he have to be so damnably spot-on with me? Having someone know me this well was disconcerting. My eyes fell, studying the bits of loose pavement. I chewed on my lip, as was habit, mood failing quickly as if to mimic the drop in temperature.

"Let's get you home."

I nodded, wordless. His hand cupped my lower back and coaxed me toward the passenger side. He grabbed the door for me and shut it after I climbed in. While he slid into the driver's seat, my eyes tore apart the gaping hole in my dashboard again. The place where my present from Emmet and Rosalie should have sat. He seemed to catch my dismantling, but he said nothing. Only the roar of the engine broke our silence.

We rumbled toward my house, another stretch of road in the rain. How I longed to see the sun. Both literally and figuratively. This deep pool of sorrow was getting old and getting old fast. How long could I be expected to carry on this funeral march? After my actions today, I felt completely unforgivable. What if I had drown? What would that do to Charlie? To lose his best friend and his daughter in one fell swoop? This had to stop. I could pay tribute to my love for _him_ without killing or losing myself.

It was like the sun emerged just slightly, lighting the lining of my dark clouds. Could I do this after all? As if some ephemeral answer, drops of rain began to _tink_ on the metal roof.

Fifteen minutes later, we rolled to a shaky halt in front of Charlie's house. I sucked in a heavy breath and gave the porch a once over. I pictured my dad dropping the phone and running for the door. Or had he been at the station? Would he have flicked on the overheads and raced code to the hospital?

Jake touched my shoulder, gave me a shake. "It'll be okay, Bells."

And I believed him when he smiled my favorite smile.

We made it to the front door quickly, avoiding the sudden deluge. Jake about broke the door when he threw it open and scooted me inside. I went immediately to the kitchen to see what I could dig up. I wasn't sure when Charlie would be home, but I wanted to have something ready. Jake was right, it would be nice if he could just walk in, grab a bite to eat, and relax - if that was possible.

I sensed Jake follow me more than I heard him. He was nearly as eerily quiet as… _no_. No more mentions. I flung open the pantry doors a little harder than was necessary and sighed hard as I browsed through the contents. Hadn't I just seen a little light at the end of the tunnel? I felt more like a roller-coaster than a deep sorrow today. Maybe that was a good sign.

Jacob came up behind me and I felt his hands cover mine as I clung to either side of the wooden cabinet. He pressed up behind me, flush with my back, molding to me like a long lost puzzle piece. I felt a jolt as he set his chin gingerly atop the crown of my head. The jolt went erratic when he inhaled, his chest expanding against my shoulder blades.

A million thoughts collided in my head as it spun out of control. If he was trying to be a comforting best friend, he was failing miserably. This was… I struggled for the right word. Sweet? Not the right word at all. As he exhaled, I tensed. There was something inexplicably intoxicating about this. Dusty emotions stirred inside my stomach. I took a ragged breath, trying to bury them again.

"Bella…" his voice was veiled. I understood his intentions then. And why I had to set him straight.

I pulled my hands from beneath his and turned under his arms. I was startled to find his nose inches from mine when I did so. His eyes were half-mast as I searched them, trying to decide my course of action. Minutes stretched impossibly. I debated. Was I okay with this? Or wasn't I? My heart threatened to explode.

_He _wasn't coming back. I didn't need to spend my life alone.

But no one wanted to be second best.

It was unfair that Jacob should love me whole-heartedly while I gave only half my heart.

No, this couldn't happen.

"Jake," I sighed softly.

But this served to encourage him. He sunk a little lower, moving forward as he did so. I stood frozen, like a deer in fast approaching headlights. I sucked in a gasp when his bottom lip intruded between my parted pout. It was several hundred degrees warmer and I was shaking now.

His eyes slid shut and mine sprung wider. I jerked my hands into fists, but he was unaware. The soft touch became strong and desperate pressure as I did nothing to move, encouraging his kiss. His lips crushed mine. I noted how soft and full they were. How the heat seeped from his mouth to mine in an electric current.

Irreparably, he was breaking down barriers I wasn't sure I wanted broken. Walls crumbled along with my ability to keep my eyes open. My hands unclenched of their own volition. My stomach did back-flips.

I relaxed perceptibly under his touch. His hands were just beginning to slip up the sides of my craned neck when my saving grace sounded loudly, echoing through the room.

_Brrrriiiing._

I jumped out of my skin. He broke our connection with a low growl that vibrated my entire being. He was obviously not as thankful for the interruption as I was. Seizing the opportunity, I slipped out of his grasp and made a mad dash for the receiver.

* * *

Bear with me, I know this has been sort of a rewrite so far, save for some embellishments, but I have a reason for this. I'm planning a completely different direction as I continue. Please let me know your thoughts!


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

* * *

"Hello?" I clicked on.

The line was silent, save for a static hum.

Annoyed, I upped my tone, "_Hello_?"

Silence.

"Okay," I snapped and hung up. Whoever it was had gotten on my last nerve.

I slammed the receiver back in the cradle and hugged myself, feeling vulnerable and on the verge of tears.

Jacob was looking at me, but I avoided his gaze. Instead, I turned to the sink and used it to steady myself. I should have thought how this would invite the exact moment that had just passed.

He was behind me again, this time his hands were on my hips. His grip was not gentle and I bit my lip as he caused friction there, turning me around forcefully. I refused once more to meet his eyes.

"Bella, what's wrong?"

An angry sound half-way between a huff and a laugh escaped me. What was wrong? For starters, he was treading on unavailable ground. My heart, though starting to open, was currently claimed and broken.

"I don't want to hurt you, Jake. I'm not sure I can do this."

Did he miss the last couple of minutes? Was he unaware of all the ways in which it was a bad idea to kiss me?

Apparently _not_.

His hands tightened around my hips. I wondered briefly if he could turn the bone to dust with his bare hands. The discomfort was drowned when his forehead touched mine. I wanted to squirm away, but I was drawn like a moth to light. Or more accurately and less attractively, like a reptile to heat.

He lowered his head and nuzzled my nose with his. I briefly recalled giggling as a little girl while my mother explained to me that when she rubbed her nose and upper lip against mine, it was called an 'Eskimo kiss.' The memory flooded my chest. This was not in any way comparable to that moment.

The electricity buzzing my ears was deafening. I struggled to breathe, to control my pounding pulse. I couldn't understand why my body was betraying me this way. Less comprehensible was the fact that what followed went something like this:

I caved like delicate sand pouring into the bottom half of an hourglass. The rush was inexplicable. I rose up on my toes and ground my mouth against Jacob's.

He pushed back roughly, prying my cold lips apart with his tongue. The feeling was like flames licking through a thick sheet of ice.

I responded to the breach by reaching both hands into his short hair where I grabbed for something to hold onto. My fingers bunched into and out of fists.

His hands selected their only option: to traverse the length of my abdomen, up and then down, down past their original place to the underside of my jeans pockets. There they gripped whatever meat I had on me and elicited a sigh that became lost on his lips.

I felt the last barrier break, I supposed, as he lifted me and I slid back an inch or two on the thin ceramic line that separated the two basins of the sink. My thighs spread without my permission.

He invited himself in, his fingers now exploring the hem of my shirt and looking for a way in. My stomach clenched as his scorching fingertips slid up my skin, daring to inch past my ribs and flirt with the underwire of my bra.

And that's when we heard the door open. _Charlie_. The hourglass shattered, spilling sand all over the floor.

I pushed Jacob back with both hands and launched off the counter. In the process, I nearly fell over. Jake steadied me before silently hopping over the table and into a chair, as if he'd been there for hours. I managed to look only somewhat bewildered as my wide eyes found Charlie, still in uniform, leaning through the entry to the kitchen.

"Hey Bells." He appraised me, and then his eyes drifted to Jacob with a nod, "Jake."

"Charlie," Jake regarded him.

"Dad, I'm sorry about Harry."

His eyes found the floor in avoidance. "It's a real shame."

Charlie turned back toward the entryway, probably to shed his coat and gun belt. I took the opportunity to fix Jacob with a glare.

"What the hell was that?" I mouthed angrily.

His arms rose innocently and his only reply was to grin like a child with his hand caught in the cookie jar.

"Oh, that's great…" was my fervent whisper "… real mature."

Serving only to further my annoyance, Jacob offered a sly wink.

I was considering throwing a spoon when Charlie reappeared, inspecting my vise like grip on the utensil.

Did he recognize the tension in the room? Maybe he'd equate it to the stresses of the day.

"I'm going to rinse off," he announced, perhaps an attempt to give Jacob and me some privacy.

I nodded, suddenly recalling dinner.

"Are you hungry?"

"Not really, why don't you and Jake go grab a bite?"

Jacob seemed thoroughly encouraged by Charlie's suggestion. "Yeah, Bells, you need to eat…" He looked as if he considered tacking on 'because you've had a long day' or something similar. Charlie didn't need to know what I'd been up to before Jacob found me.

"Fine," I agreed, hoping to avoid having to spill the story.

* * *

_**- Rome -**_

_Through Alice Cullen's eyes._

_

* * *

_

I watched the visions, knowing he'd notice the change in my eyes. And he'd be scanning my mind before I could block him from seeing what I focused on in horror.

"Alice…" he spoke my name as I saw _her _in a faded old coat, her eyes red and wet as she walked through the forest.

I altered my view, looking through her eyes. She was walking unsteadily toward a cliff.

"No, _no_…"

I felt the dread in his voice. I tried to move the vision again, to see into her eyes and determine her thoughts. I gasped in horror as my vision went as black as midnight.

"Oh my God…" I bawled.

"What does that mean?" His face was inches from mine, I hadn't noticed him move. His hands went to my shoulders.

"I don't know, Edward. I've never had anything just… disappear like that."

"Damn it."

He turned and made his way through the small flat. I watched as he brushed a vase of roses from a table, allowing the glass to shatter on the marble floor. I imagined his heart doing the same. Water sought crevices that were slightly lower as the roses rolled haphazardly.

"Edward…" I breathed, at a loss for words.

He picked up his cell and dialed wildly. I held my breath, steadied myself emotionally while I listened to several rings.

"Hello?" I heard a feminine voice, tinny from this far away.

Edward crumpled to his knees. From relief or anxiety, I wasn't sure, but that had to be Bella on the other side of the line.

"_Hello_?" the voice snarled. It grumbled another world and then I heard the deafening sound of silence. Edward was perfectly still.

"Was that…?"

"Yes."

"So she's okay?"

"Apparently."

"But what happened?"

"You tell me."

His anger bothered me, but I understood it. I simply shook my head, unable to comprehend this black hole in my vision. Sometimes the clarity was changed and the visions were always subject to decisions, but they'd never disappeared. I fixed my eyes on the floor.

"I don't know, Edward. I'm sorry. I've never encountered anything like this." My voice trembled irregularly.

"Alice, I apologize. I didn't mean to upset you."

He was at my side in a blink. His arm was around my shoulders.

"What do you think would cause this?"

"I'm just not sure. I mean, she's immune to your talents but I've always been able to _see_ her. And I've seen her… dead. So it can't be that. It just can't."

"Not to mention that I we just heard her voice."

_Right._ See, not only was I having trouble seeing, but I'd just forgotten something. I hadn't forgotten anything since I awoke from my transformation. "I'm hopeless."

"Alice, don't be absurd. Maybe we should… _no_, that wouldn't suit any purpose."

I glanced up with curiosity, "What? Maybe we should what?"

"Well, you need to know what caused this. I need to make sure she's okay. I promised her it would be as if I never existed, so we would need to be _very_ careful."

_Oh._ My eyes came alive again. "But we could, in theory, pay Forks a visit. Carefully." My tone belied my feelings about this. I was beginning to smile.

"In theory. However, the idea makes me nervous."

"If we don't want to be seen, no one will see us. You know that."

"I don't trust myself to be within a few feet of _her _and stay… hidden."

"Decide you want to go." I was practically bouncing.

"It's not that simple, Alice. I'm not feeling committed."

"I believe in you. You're strong, Edward. Every bit as strong as Carlisle."

He must have felt encouraged, because in that moment I could see it. We would arrive quickly and we would make our way silently through the dim forest. I could see Bella's house as we neared the edge and… and… _oh. No._

"What in the hell?"

_Exactly. I don't get it._ I frowned at him and tried again, pushing the limits of my abilities. I'd never had to try like this. Was there indecision somewhere? No. That wouldn't cause a blackout like this. Had to be more. I strained against mental barriers. No luck.

_There's no other way, Edward._

"Alice, I can't trust myself. Perhaps your vision is limited because of me?"

_No, that's never, ever been an issue in the past. We're going._

"No."

_Yes._

"Absolutely not."

_Positively now. Right now._

I ignored him and stamped across the room.

"Alice."

I decided to use my voice then, feeling that my thoughts wouldn't fully convey my seriousness. "Edward. Now."

For once in his life, he followed an order. I was satisfied as he crossed the room and took my hand.

"Then promise me."

"What?" I looked into his pleading eyes.

"Promise me you will stop me, if I should… do anything reckless."

"I promise." _Maybe. Depends. I miss her._

"Promise," he insisted.

_Damnable mind reader._ "Fine. I promise." This time, I kept any wavering thoughts to myself.

"Should we tell the others?"

I hesitated, searching. "I don't see them noticing. They've decided to give me some time to get through to you, to convince you to come back and stay with us. They miss you."

He pretended not to hear me. I sighed_. I miss you_.

"I miss you too, Alice. We can discuss this later. Now we have a plane to catch."

* * *

I'm sure you've noticed the swap in point-of-view. This story will be alternating between Alice and Bella's POV when necessary, but I plan to try and separate the two by chapter in the future.

This particular idea has been on my mind since I read New Moon. It's taking some set-up time, so I hope you'll keep reading. The next chapter will contain far more action and I have some plot ideas that will make things fun. In the meantime, let me know what you think! I'd love to hear some of the things you wished you could see and what you'd actually love to see in this story. While I do have my ideas, I can easily work in some requests as well. Or if it's too far off-plot, then a one-shot or two, for sure. Don't be shy.


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